EDUCATION - Undergraduate
1982
B.SC. University of Toronto
Canada
1979
Veterinary Univ.
Brno, Czech Rep.
Medical School
1992
M.D., McMaster University
Canada
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING - Internship & Residencies
07/93-06/95
Resident in Pediatrics
Hospital for Sick Children,
University of Toronto
07/92-06/93
Intern in Pediatrics
Hospital for Sick Children,
University of Toronto
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING - Fellowships
07/02-06/03
Clinical Fellow
Dana Farber Cancer Institute,
Pediatric Neuro-Oncology
Harvard University
07/00-05/02
Senior Post-Doctoral Fellow
Molecular and Cellular Biology,
Sunnybrook & Women's College HSC,
University of Toronto
07/97-06/00
NCIC Post-Doctoral
Cancer Biology,
Research Fellow
Sunnybrook & Women's College HSC,
University of Toronto
07/95-06/97
Clinical Fellow
Hospital for Sick Children,
Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Toronto
LICENSURE & CERTIFICATION
2006-present
American Board of Pediatrics
#163004
2003-present
Massachusetts Registered Physician
#219313
1996-present
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (Pediatrics)
#481278
1992-present
Ontario Registered Physician
#65591
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
06/2009-present
Assistant Professor,
Dept of Medicine
Tufts University,
Boston, MA
06/2003-01/2009
Instructor, Pediatric
Hematology/Oncology
Harvard Medical School,
Boston, MA
HOSPITAL APPOINTMENTS
03/12-present
Director of Newman Lakka Institute for Personalized Cancer Care
Floating Hospital
for Children,
Boston, MA
10/09-present
Director of Rare Tumors and Vascular Anomalies Center
Floating Hospital
for Children,
Boston, MA
08/09-present
Attending in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Floating Hospital
for Children,
Boston, MA
08/04-01/09
Attending in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Dana Farber
Cancer Institute,
Boston, MA
07/04-01/09
Attending in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Children's Hospital,
Boston, Massachusetts
07/99-present
Attending in Pediatrics
St. Joseph's Hospital,
Toronto, Canada
AWARDS & HONORS
2010-2014
RO1, NIH
National Cancer
Institute of
General Medical Sciences
1997-2001
Terry Fox Fellowship in Cancer Research
National Cancer Institute of Canada
1991
Tisdale Award for Excellence in Research
University of Toronto
HOSPITAL, MEDICAL SCHOOL, OR UNIVERSITY COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
2012-present
Member, Institutional Review Board
Tufts Medical Center
and Tufts University
Health Sciences
The mission of the Institutional Review Board is to provide innovative therapies for children who have failed standard therapeutic options, or for whom no therapeutic options exist. To this end the team creates, evaluates and validates latest methods for molecular tissue analysis, generates therapeutic options based on the revealed molecular pathways involved in the progression of the particular cancer, and collects outcome data to evaluate therapeutic efficacy of the approach. Specific emphasis is placed development of strategies for application of novel biologic response modifiers in the treatment of malignant brain and solid tumors, leukemias / lymphomas and for prevention of tumor development in cancer syndromes.
2010-present
Member, Institutional Review Board
Tufts Medical Center
and Tufts University
Health Sciences
2009-present
Director, Rare Tumors and Vascular Anomalies Program
Pediatric Hematology/Oncology,
Floating Hospital for Children
The Rare Tumors and Vascular Anomalies Program provides review and management of acute and chronic cases of children with rare cancer predisposing syndromes; diagnosis, treatment and long term anticipatory care for locally invasive benign tumors; and medical management of vascular anomalies. The educational component of this assignment incorporates the teaching of residents and medical students within the setting of hematology/oncology clinic, in hospital care, consult service and Bone Marrow Transplant unit. Patient Load: 10-15/week
2006-2009
Member, Non-Oncology Chemotherapy Leadership Task Force
Children's Hospital
Boston, Ma
Responsibilities included the development of new protocols for investigational and "off label" use of newly approved biological or chemotherapeutic agents, review of existing non-investigational and investigational protocols, non-oncology use of chemotherapeutic agents etc. Particular emphasis was placed on computerized order sheets development, safety procedures, consents and assignment of responsibilities.
2003-2009
Disease specific Attending for Vascular Anomalies
The role integrated clinical application of novel anti-angiogenic agents with education about the development and testing of experimental therapeutics as they applied to pediatric malignancies, benign tumors and pathologic vascular growths. Within this role a new clinical paradigm of using low-doses of available chemotherapeutics in combination with novel tyrosine kinase inhibitors to target tumor angiogenesis was developed. Since its original publication in April 2001, the work has resulted in numerous clinical trials around the world and in numerous NIH sponsored cancer treatment initiatives.
OTHER MAJOR COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS - National, Regional - Grant Panel Reviewer
2009-
Canadian Blood Services (CBS)
2008-
Cancer Research UK
2006-
American Cancer Society
2004-
German Israeli Foundation (GIF)
TRAINING OF GRADUATE STUDENTS/POST DOCTORAL
2013-
Nancy Kaddis
Hematology/Oncology Fellow
2012-
Jennifer Afrani-Sakyi
Graduate Student
2012-
Olga Dashevsky
Post Doctoral Fellow
2011-
Bonnie Lau
Pediatric Hematology/ Oncology Fellow
2006-2008
Flavia Cassiola, PhD
Post Doctoral Fellow
2006-2007
Quian Liu, MD
Post Doctoral Fellow
2005-2007
AbdoAbou-Slaybi
Undergraduate Student
2003-2006
David Cervi, PhD
Post Doctoral Fellow
TEACHING RESPONSIBILITY
2007
Senior lecturer Cellular Biology Bio 4246, Northeastern University
Responsibility: Organizing the course objectives and tasks, weekly lectures (Wednesday evenings 17:50-19:50), exams and assignments and student support.
2004-2009
Fellow Teaching Series at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Children's Hospital Boston
Supervision of two research fellows for 200 hrs/year as well as clinical attending supervision of hematology oncology fellows at Harvard Medical School
2001-present
4-7 Residents for ~150 hrs/year, attending on wards and ambulatory clinics
St. Joseph's Hospital, Toronto, Canada
TEACHING RESPONSIBILITY - Education Seminar Series
July 17-20, 2012
Co-chair, "Systems Biology Underlying Metronomics: The dynamics of dose, timing and Microenvironment" workshop
NCIC Integrative Cancer Biology Program Educational Outreach
2009-present
supervision and guidance of students and fellows in a basic science program
Center of Cancer Systems Biology
2009-present
supervision and guidance of medical students, residents and fellows in clinical and hospital setting
Floating Hospital for Children, Tufts Medical Center
2008 & 2009
"The rationale for using anti-angiogenic therapy in neuroblastoma"
Dana-Farber Neuroblastoma Translational Research Group
2007-2008
"Early Tumor Detection Using Platelet Uptake of Angiogenesis Regulators"
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES
2001-present
American Association for Cancer Research
Member
2001-present
International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies
Member
1998-present
American Society of Hematology
Member
1996-present
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
Fellow
1994-present
Canadian Pediatric Society
Member
1992-present
American Academy of Pediatrics
Member
1992-present
Ontario Medical Association
Member
1992-present
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario
Member
OFFICE AND COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS IN PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES
2011-present
American Cancer Society Cell Structure and Metastasis Peer Review Committee
full member
2008-2011
American Cancer Society Cell Structure and Metastasis Peer Review Committee
ad-hoc member
2007
New York University School of Medicine Vascular Anomalies 2007: Update on Research and Controversies in Clinical Management
MAJOR RESEARCH INTERESTS
My basic science laboratory focuses on angiogenesis as it pertains to tumor, wound and cardiovascular disease. The work is divided into two main streams: the development of novel therapeutic paradigms, and understanding of the role of platelets in tumor angiogenesis. These two leading projects converge on the use of platelet-associated angiogenesis regulators as markers of early cancer growth and therapeutic response; as well as platelet role in the modulation of wound healing, diabetic retinopathy, atherosclerosis and other angiogenesis-dependent states. The discoveries made in my lab and enabling this research are: i) angiogenesis regulators do not circulate free in plasma, but are instead actively sequestered and concentrated in platelet alpha-granules, ii) this sequestration occurs early in the disease and can be used as early marker of disease, iii) angiogenesis regulators are organized into functional compartments of platelet alpha granules, and are not released en mass, and iv) the formation of clots rich in inhibitors and stimulators of angiogenesis permits a sequential release of either stimulators or inhibitors in a spatially and temporary controlled manner. This basic science is continuously fed into my clinical practice in the form of novel medical therapies for children and adults with life-threatening or untreatable vascular anomalies and cancers.
RESEARCH SUPPORT - active
06/02/12 - 06/02/17
Newman-Lakka Cancer Foundation (Klement) Philanthropic Funds
as needed
Title: Newman-Lakka Institute for Personalized Cancer Care
The primary goal of this program is to develop novel therapeutic strategies using combinations of metronomic chemotherapy and targeted biologic response modifiers, and to validate platelet biomarkers of therapeutic response. Secondary aims include the development of tools for statistical analysis of outcomes of these individualized therapies and tools for physician oncologists who use this therapeutic approach.
1 U54 CA149233-01 (Hlatky)
05/01/10 – 02/28/15
0.5 calendar
NIH/NCI
$5,515,731 direct
Co-Investigator
Title: Intercellular Interactions Modulate Carcinogenesis Course: A Dynamic System Study
The goal of this program is to develop quantitative, mechanistic, predictive human carcinogenesis models. A comprehensive interdisciplinary team will focus more attention on intercellular interactions and on systems biology than has been given in earlier approaches emphasizing time-development of a single somatic cell lineage evolving almost autonomously toward cancer.
2009241 (Klement)
10/01/10 – 09/30/14
as needed
Binational Science Foundat'n
$86,956 direct (Tufts MC portion)
US site PI
Title: Delivery of angiogenesis regulators to tumor environment by platelets and platelet derived microparticles.
The goal of the program is to investigate the mechanism of microparticle formation and platelet aggregation in tumor setting, and the possible application of this phenomenon to cancer therapy. Note: No salary support allowed for PI.
1 R01 GM093050-01A1 (Klement)
04/01/10 – 03/31/14
3.6 calendar
NIH/NIGMS
$1,000,000 direct
Principal Investigator
Title: The Role of Platelets in Tumor Growth, Wound Healing and Other Angiogenesis Related Diseases
The goal of the program is to investigate the mechanism of uptake and release of angiogenesis regulators from platelets in tumor setting, and the possible application of this phenomenon to cancer therapy.
RESEARCH SUPPORT - past
2009-2014 "Multi-Scale Systems Biology of Low-Dose Carcinogenesis Risk"
U.S. Department of Energy
$584,795
Role: Associate Investigator
2008-2009 "The use of Platelet Angiogenesis Proteome for early cancer detection"
Company Sponsored Research, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics
$200,000
Role: Co-Investigator
2007-2008 "The use of Platelet Angiogenesis Proteome for early cancer detection"
Company Sponsored Research, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics
$800,000
Role: Principal Investigator
2004-2009 "Solid Tumor Risk Estimation: Incorporating Intercellular Interaction Effects; Project I: Mouse Models for Assessing Solid Tumor Risk"
NASA, NRA NNH04ZUU002N
Role: Collaborator
2004-2009 "Prevention of the Angiogenic Switch in Human Breast Cancer"
D.O.D., W81XWH-04-1-0316
Role: Collaborator
2004-2005 Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Mechanism of Tumor Dormancy by Blocked Neovascularization in Breast Cancer
Role: Collaborator